Thread by @RevYinkaAdeleke

THE UCHCF CHAPTER
My first introduction to the UCH Christian Fellowship was in 2000 when I visited my brother in UCH during my holidays (he was then staying in the old wooden block, H Block) and he took me along to the fellowship.
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Coming from a CAC background, I was absolutely enthralled with everything I saw that day - the heartfelt worship, the deep teaching of the Word during the Bible study session, the palpable presence of God, and the atmosphere of brotherly love there.
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My brother was a committed member of the fellowship - He was in the GPG (Gospel Publication Group) and was the head of the group for 2 years. He was also the Editor-in-Chief of the Calvary Love Herald, the fellowship's periodical.
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So, it was only natural that I would go with him to the fellowship meetings. Of course, I initially thought that I was going to be in UCH for just a few weeks and would then move to UI where I planned to join IVCU (Ibadan Varsity Christian Union)...
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...And I had already gone to IVCU to familiarise myself with "my fellowship". But then, life happened, or rather, God happened!
So, after all the drama that happened with my admission and I lapsed into depression, UCHCF became a lifeline for me.
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This was a time when nothing was working for me.
I had tried everything I knew and nothing was working.
I had thrown everything I had against the wall and nothing was sticking.
My life was at a virtual standstill.
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I was a secondary school leaver among undergraduates.
Everybody was busy with their academic pursuits while I was just... floating.
I did not belong.
I had a severe identity crisis.
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But in it all, one thing clicked for me - those few hours spent in the fellowship (Wednesdays and Sundays) were the only times I felt like I was in my natural element. That was the only place where I felt I truly belonged. And so, I threw myself into fellowship activities.
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I went through BBC (the Basic Bible Course) and graduated, thus becoming a full member of the fellowship (even though I was not a student in any of the schools in UCH!)
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Following in my brother's footsteps, I joined GPG and the Calvary Love Herald Editorial Board. I also joined the Prayer Band and "The Watchmen", a special intercessory group (under the leadership of Dr Gbenga Akinrinoye "O-Prayo").
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Shortly afterwards, I joined (by invitation) the Counselling & Follow-up Unit (Under the leadership of Dr Kenny Ojifinni and then Dr Sunkanmi Anjorin). I also started volunteering at Calvary Love Ventures, the business arm of the fellowship...
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...(Under the leadership of Dr Kenny Ojifinni, Dr Sola Ipeaiyeda and Dr Sayo Akanbi, Vice Presidents of the Fellowship), where I VOLUNTEERED as a sales assistant, as well as the business centre operator (doing typesetting, printing, running photocopies, binding, etc.).
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I also got involved in school evangelism, village evangelism, and later, the School of Healing & Deliverance, while also being active in "Prayer for the Nation", an inter-campus intercessory movement for Nigeria started by Rev. Dr Moses Aransiola.
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In addition, alongside such friends and prayer partners as Dr Biddie Ayodele, Dr Kayode Arikawe, Bro. Kushimo Oladimeji, Sis. Tayo Oyeleye, Sis. Bimpe Owo and some others, I started an intercessory group that we nicknamed "The Marines".
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Our mission was to intercede for UCH, its institutions and its inhabitants for 2 hours or so every day on the UCH Sports Field, starting from 4.30 am. We did this for 2 years straight, apart from other "special ops" that we engaged in.
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While involved in all of that, my membership in the fellowship's Counselling & Follow-up Unit made me a teacher at the Basic Bible Course, which gave me the privilege of teaching foundational classes to new students just joining the fellowship.
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And since I didn't have any academic demands on me, I was available to pray with them at any hour, day or night. I spent hours visiting them, having long prayer sessions with them on the Sports Field or SMLS grounds, encouraging them and helping them grow in their faith.
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Of course, it was not just activities - all of these things and the ministry of the Word gradually healed my heart, restored my relationship with God, helped me to come out of my depressive state and catapulted me to new heights in the things of the Spirit.
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As far as I was concerned, I was just spinning my wheels and merely finding ways to keep myself occupied so I would not become the devil's workshop, but God was using all these things to train me for ministry and to prepare me for my future.
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Tomorrow, I will talk about encounters I had with 2 great servants of God, Pastor Segun Ariyo @segunariyo4 and Apostle Bukki Gbenro @PsBukki while still in the fellowship, that changed my life and launched me into the next chapter of my destiny.
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@segunariyo4 @PsBukki But today, being Day 12 of #40DaysOfGratitude towards my 40th Birthday, I want to thank God for using that season of my life in UCHCF as a veritable training ground for me, even though I did not see it then.
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@segunariyo4 @PsBukki Lord, I am grateful!
#40DaysOfGratitude
#JourneyTo40
© Adeyinka J. Adeleke
21/04/2024
Ibadan Nigeria

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